Short answer: The minoxidil tablet label, which covers high blood pressure only, starts people over 12 at 5 mg once daily, stepping to 10, 20 and then 40 mg a day if needed. The usual effective range is 10 to 40 mg a day and the maximum is 100 mg. Children under 12 start at 0.2 mg/kg, up to 50 mg daily. Changes are normally at least 3 days apart.
This is what the FDA label says. Follow your prescriber. Your prescriber may use a different dose or pace than the label's standard schedule.
What Minoxidil Tablets is approved for: Minoxidil tablets are labeled for high blood pressure only: severe hypertension that causes symptoms or organ damage and is not controlled by maximum doses of a diuretic plus two other blood pressure drugs (Indications and Usage). Use in milder high blood pressure is not recommended. The label states that using minoxidil tablets in any formulation to promote hair growth is not an approved indication (Precautions, Unapproved Use).
Source
Minoxidil Tablets, USP, prescribing information and Patient Information. Par Health USA. DailyMed, version published June 15, 2026. DailyMed setid 8f3800f0-b6da-4dfe-8c32-39bb5eb0262a
Minoxidil is a tablet taken by mouth, once a day or split into two equal doses depending on how far blood pressure has dropped (Dosage and Administration).
It comes in 2.5 mg and 10 mg scored tablets, which can be broken in half (How Supplied and Patient Information).
It is usually taken together with a diuretic and a beta-blocker or other sympathetic nervous system suppressant (Dosage and Administration). The label gives no hair-loss dosing because hair growth is not an approved use.
The table below is the label's schedule, from the Dosage and Administration section. Numbers are copied exactly; the section is in brackets.
| Who | Starting dose | How it steps up | Usual range | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over 12 years of age | 5 mg as a single daily dose | To 10 mg, 20 mg and then 40 mg, single or divided doses, if required | 10 to 40 mg per day | 100 mg per day |
| Under 12 years of age | 0.2 mg/kg as a single daily dose | In 50 to 100% increments until optimum blood pressure control | 0.25 to 1.0 mg/kg/day | 50 mg daily |
| Companion medicine | Dosages the label lists when starting minoxidil |
|---|---|
| Hydrochlorothiazide (or other thiazide at equal effect) | 50 mg, b.i.d. |
| Chlorthalidone | 50 mg to 100 mg, once daily |
| Furosemide | 40 mg, b.i.d.; used if weight gain from salt and water exceeds 5 pounds |
| Beta-blocker | Equivalent of 80 mg to 160 mg of propranolol per day in divided doses |
| Methyldopa (if beta-blockers are contraindicated) | 250 mg to 750 mg, b.i.d., started at least 24 hours before minoxidil |
| Clonidine (limited experience) | 0.1 to 0.2 mg twice daily |
If supine diastolic pressure has dropped less than 30 mmHg, minoxidil is needed only once a day; if it has dropped more than 30 mmHg, the daily dose is split into two equal parts.
Dose changes are normally at least 3 days apart, since the full response to a dose takes at least that long. With careful monitoring, adjustments can be made every 6 hours when faster control is needed.
People with malignant hypertension, and those already on guanethidine when it cannot be stopped, start minoxidil in hospital.
People with kidney failure or on dialysis may need smaller doses with close supervision. Abnormal tests at the start are repeated every 1 to 3 months at first, then every 6 to 12 months.
The children's dosing is described as only a rough guide, and careful titration is essential.
The Patient Information says not to skip any doses, and if you forget a dose of minoxidil, wait until it is time for your next dose, then continue with your regular schedule. It also says not to stop minoxidil or other blood pressure medicines without checking with your doctor.
More on this: missed a dose of Minoxidil Tablets.
In Dose Track you set up Minoxidil Tablets as a protocol with the dose and schedule your prescriber gave you. A protocol can hold dose steps, each with its own dose and length in days or weeks, so a step-up plan like the one on the label can be entered once and the app moves to the next step on its own. Reminders follow the schedule, and every dose is logged with the date and time, so you can see which step you are on and when your last dose was. The app follows what you enter; it does not choose or change a dose.
This page is what the FDA label says, in plain words. It is not medical advice. Follow your prescriber, and ask them or your pharmacist about anything here.